Tofieldia pusilla
Scotch false asphodel
Common Names
Scotch false asphodel
small tofieldia
common false asphodel
least asphodel
small false asphodel
tiny false asphodel
tofieldie naine
tofieldie boreale
tofieldie fluette
Synonyms
Abama pusilla
Narthecium boreale
Narthecium pusillum
Phalangium minimum
Tofieldia borealis
Tofieldia minima
Tofieldia palustris
Subspecies
none
Genus: Tofieldia
Family: Tofieldiaceae (tofieldia family)
Order: Alismatales
taxonomic heirarchy
Etymology
The genus name Tofieldia is derived from the English botanist Thomas Tofield (1730–1779), who contributed to the study of British plants and whose work was recognized by the botanical community. The species epithet pusilla comes from Latin, meaning “small” or “diminutive,” referring to the plant’s petite stature and delicate growth habit.
The common name “Scotch false asphodel” references Scotland, where the plant is often found in boggy and alpine habitats, and the term “false asphodel,” which highlights its superficial resemblance to true asphodels. However, it belongs to a different family (Tofieldiaceae). The “false” designation indicates that, despite the visual similarity to asphodels in the family Asphodelaceae, Tofieldia pusilla is not closely related botanically. The name “asphodel” is derived from the Greek word asphodelos, which is used in classical literature to describe various lily-like plants. Historically, Tofieldia pusilla was classified under the Liliaceae family (lilies).
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Duration – Growth Habit
Perennial – Forb/herb
Identification and Information
Vegetative Morphology:
Tofieldia pusilla, commonly known as Scotch false asphodel, is a small, white-flowering herb growing from a short rhizome with fibrous roots. The plant forms fan-like tufts of several basal leaves that resemble grass. These leaves are non-persistent and die back annually. The linear leaf blades, measuring 10-50 mm long, are characterized by parallel veins and smooth margins. Unlike Tofieldia coccinea, this species typically lacks stem leaves or bracts. The flowering stems are slender, smooth, and glabrous with a circular or oval cross-section, standing 5-20 cm tall.
Reproductive Morphology:
The inflorescence is a compact, cylindrical cluster, 0.5-3 cm long, composed of 3-35 small flowers at the terminal end of the stem. The flowers are subtended by involucral bracts and borne on short pedicels. Each flower has six white to yellowish-green tepals, which are narrowly oblong and 1.5-3 mm long. These tepals consist of three petals and three similar sepals. The flowers also have six stamens and a single pistil with three styles. The fruit is a dry, ovoid to obovate, brown capsule, 3-lobed, containing 6-18 seeds (15-30 according to the Ecological Atlas of Denali’s Flora).
Uses
For information only (typically historical) – I take no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plant.
No traditional, medicinal, or culinary uses were found.
Distribution and Habitat
Map data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), NatureServe Explorer, and Kew
Scotch false asphodel (Tofieldia pusilla) is a circumboreal species found across Alaska and most of Canada. It is listed as imperiled or critically imperiled in the United States in Montana, Minnesota, and Michigan. The species is also distributed in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the UK (including Scotland), and across northern Eurasia, extending into Central Europe.
It lives in moist, open areas like bogs, wet tundra, marshy meadows, shorelines, and streambanks.
Classification
| Rank | Scientific Name (Common Name) |
|---|---|
| Class | Equisetopsida |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae (Angiosperms) |
| Superorder | Lilianae (monocots) |
| Order | Alismatales |
| Family | Tofieldiaceae (Tofieldia family) |
| Genus | Tofieldia |
| Species | Tofieldia pusilla (Scotch false asphodel) |
References and Further Reading
Guidebook
none
Classification and Taxonomy
Canadensys. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Retrieved from https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/9416?lang=en
ITIS. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=43052#null
USDA. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=TOPU
Etymology
Wikipedia. (2024, August 17). Tofieldiaceae. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofieldiaceae
Uses
none
Map and Distribution
GBIF. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved from https://www.gbif.org/species/2864429
NatureServe. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved from https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128254/Tofieldia_pusilla
Kew Science. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:542298-1
Description and Information
Flora of North America. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Retrieved from http://floranorthamerica.org/Tofieldia_pusilla
Hultén, E. (1968). Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories: A Manual of the Vascular Plants (1st ed.) (pg. 304). Stanford University Press.
Ecological Atlas of Denali’s Flora. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Retrieved from https://ecologicalatlas.uaf.edu/index.php/browse-plant-species/atlas-page/?nps_id=2019
UBC. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. University of British Columbia: E-Flora BC. Retrieved from https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Tofieldia%20pusilla&redblue=Both&lifeform=7
Canadian Museum of Nature. (2024, August 17). Tofieldia pusilla. Arctic and Alpine Flora of Canada. Retrieved from https://nature.ca/aaflora/data/www/litopu.htm
